How to peer review

All researchers will encounter peer review in their careers; either as authors when they submit their work to a journal for publication or as a reviewer when they are asked to provide comments on a paper by a journal editor.

Although it is an important aspect of the scientific process, how to peer review is rarely taught in universities and can be a daunting task for those new to it. Compared with conducting research, teaching, and writing your own manuscripts, reviewing someone else’s work may seem relatively easy. In fact, reviewing effectively is a special skill that takes time and effort to develop.

This tutorial gives you an introduction to peer review and explains how you should go about reviewing a paper.

By the end of this tutorial you should:

understand the purpose of peer review and the different types available

be able to assess whether you would be a suitable reviewer for manuscripts you are invited to review

know how to evaluate each section of a manuscript

know what to include in your report.

You will also have the opportunity to test your learning by completing a quiz at the end.